Ottoman Impressions

Majestic. Historic. Indulgent. Brutal. Smokers paradise. Cold winds. Trade and commerce. Greatness. Clashing wills. Islam. Green eyes. Charming men. Apple tea. Shipping channel. The palace café overlooking the Bosphorus and Golden Horn. Magical at night. Shifty. Trams. Sunshine. Aubergines. Beautiful bread and butter. The call of the Azan. Prayer in Sultan Ahmet Camii. Golden mosaic. Medieval stone lining the way up the Aya Sofya. Minarets. Roasted chestnuts. Bookshop. Blood red tulips. The President's cavalcade. Shivering at the lighthouse. Seabirds. Beautiful girl in coffee shop. Chocolate spoon. Shoe polish. Galatasaray. Coffee cups. Italian tourists. Queues for Turks. The Sea. Barren trees. The f***ing cold. Hot casseroles. Appalling bhutta on the streets. Narrow, steep streets. Strains of the Oud. Earrings and carpets on the street walls. Terrace café's. Cats. Memories of the Ghiralda in Aya Sofya. Shiny head scarfs. Quietly deserted Sunday. Dodgy Russian hamams. Sea of faces. Boring brands. Interesting fridge magnets. Ladies in windows making flat bread. Purple, green and cream ceiling in the bazaar. Fish. Pilots licenses issued only to taxi drivers. Atatürk. Greatness. European, yet not.....